MATCH REPORT
Follow UsAlyssa Healy smashed a quickfire 57 off 27 balls as the Sydney Sixers thumped Melbourne Stars by six wickets in the rain-curtailed WBBL 2021 opener on Thursday. Indian spinner Radha Yadav and opener Shafali Verma made their debuts in the tournament with Sixers.
Chasing a target of 100 in 11 overs a side match, the Sixers lost Verma for eight before Healy took charge at Blundstone Arena in Hobart. The T20 World Cup winner smashed 11 boundaries in her before being dismissed by ninth over with the score at 89/5. Nicole Bolton (7 not out) and Angela Reakes (3 not out) finished the job for Ellyse Perry's side.
After being put in to bat by Perry, Melbourne opener Elyse Villiani scored a 31-ball 54 while skipper Meg Lanning added 23 off 17 balls to take them to 99/1 in 11 overs. Verma accounted for the only wicket in the innings when she ran out opener Annabel Sutherland in the sixth over.
Another recruit, Radha Yadav completed her quota of two overs and conceded 25 runs. Due to the travel restrictions in Australia, the first 20 games of the WBBL's seventh edition will all be played in Tasmania state. A total of eight players from the Indian contingent that toured Australia will feature in the tournament. They include Verma, Poonam Yadav (Brisbane Heat), Harmanpreet Kaur (Melbourne Renegades), Richa Ghosh (Hobart Hurricanes), and Smriti Mandhana (Sydney Thunder).
Defending champions Sydney Thunder will take on Adelaide Strikers on Saturday in the next match.
